Lawnmowers can be configured as garden tractors, riding mowers, commercial walk-behind mowers and smaller walk-behind mowers. Smaller walk-behind mowers include a prime mover mounted to the deck. Mower decks associated with garden tractors, riding mowers and commercial walk-behind mowers are removably attached to the frame of these self-propelled machines in a manner that allows the deck to float along the contour of the terrain above an adjustable minimum height. These floating decks rely on a power take-off connected to the prime mover used to propel these self-propelled machines and, therefore, do not include a prime mover. More than one blade can be mounted in the cutting chamber of the deck for any of these embodiments of a lawnmower.
Lawnmowers can also be configured to either mulch the clippings or to discharge the clippings through a discharge chute. Mulching mowers cut the clippings into fine particles and blow the clippings below the lawn surface. Discharge mowers either discharge the clippings directly onto the lawn surface or into a bag for disposal elsewhere. Some lawnmowers can be converted between mulching lawnmowers and discharge lawnmowers by inserting or removing separate elements within the cutter housing and/or the discharge chute.
There is provided a lawnmower including a cutter housing and an engine mount on the cutter housing. A prime mover is supported on the engine mount and a blade is coupled to the prime mover to rotate within the cutter housing. A plate translates within the cutter housing between a first position and a second position.
There is also provided a lawnmower convertible between a bagging mode and a mulching mode. The convertible lawnmower includes a cutter housing having a discharge opening, an engine mount centrally positioned on the cutter housing, a prime mover supported on the engine mount, a mulching blade, a cover and a fin. The mulching blade is coupled to the prime mover to rotate in a blade circle within the cutter housing. The cover translates across the discharge opening between a full bagging position where cover is laterally spaced from the discharge opening and a full mulching position where the cover spans the discharge opening. The fin is connected to and extends from the cover toward the mulching blade.
There is also provided a lawnmower convertible between a bagging mode and a mulching mode. The convertible lawnmower includes a cutter housing having a discharge opening, an engine mount centrally positioned on the cutter housing, a prime mover supported on the engine mount, a mulching blade and a cover. The mulching blade is coupled to the prime mover to rotate in a blade circle within the cutter housing. The cover translates along an arcuate path in the cutting chamber between a full bagging position where the cover is laterally spaced from the discharge opening and a full mulching position where the cover obstructs the discharge opening.
There is further provided a lawnmower convertible between a bagging mode and a mulching mode. The convertible lawnmower includes a cutter housing having a discharge opening, an engine mount centrally positioned on the cutter housing, a prime mover supported on the engine mount, a mulching blade coupled to the prime mover to rotate in a blade circle within the cutter housing, a cover, and a handle. The cover slides within the cutter housing between a full bagging position where the discharge opening is substantially unobstructed by the cover, a full mulching position where the cover substantially obstructs the discharge opening and at least one position intermediate the full bagging position and the full mulching position. The handle is connected to the cover and extends external to the cutter housing. The handle is displaceable between a first position, a second position and at least one position intermediate the first position and the second position such that displacement of the handle between each of the first position, the second position and the at least one intermediate position of the handle translates the cover between each of the full bagging position, the full mulching position and the at least one intermediate position of the cover, respectively.
There is further provided a control for a lawnmower accessory that includes a selector and a slidable plate connected to the selector. The selector has a first position, a second position and at least one position intermediate the first position and the second position. The slidable plate includes a first wall and a second wall extending obliquely from the first wall.
There is further provided a lawnmower convertible between a bagging mode and a mulching mode. The convertible lawnmower includes a cutter housing having a discharge opening, an engine mount on the cutter housing, a prime mover supported on the engine mount, a mulching blade coupled to the prime mover to rotate within the cutter housing, a plate, and a rotary knob operatively connected to the plate and indicia adjacent the rotary knob. The plate translates within the cutter housing between a full bagging position where the discharge opening is substantially unobstructed by the plate and a full mulching position where the plate substantially obstructs the discharge opening. The indicia indicates the operational state of the plate based on the position of the rotary knob relative to the indicia.
There is further provided a lawnmower convertible between a bagging mode and a mulching mode. The convertible lawnmower includes a cutter housing having a discharge opening, a rotary mulching blade mounted to rotate in a cutting plane within the cutter housing, and a plate translating within the cutter housing. The plate projects an area onto the cutting plane at a location where the plate overlaps the cutting plane as the plate moves between a full bagging position where the discharge opening is unobstructed by the plate and a full mulching position where the plate obstructs the discharge opening.
There is further provided a method for converting a lawnmower between a first operational mode and a second operational mode. The lawnmower includes a discharge chute coupled to a cutter housing via a discharge opening. The method includes establishing a first effective cross-sectional area for the discharge opening when the lawnmower is in the first operational mode, establishing a second effective cross-sectional area different from the first effective cross-sectional area for the discharge opening when the lawnmower is in the second operational mode, and establishing a third effective cross-sectional area different from the second effective cross-sectional area for the discharge opening when the lawnmower is in a third operational mode.
There is further provided a method of converting a lawnmower between a first operational mode, a second operational mode, and a third operational mode. The lawn mower includes a discharge chute coupled to a cutter housing via a discharge opening. The method includes varying the effective cross-sectional area of the discharge opening to switch the lawunower between the first operational mode, the second operational mode, and the third operational mode.
There is further provided a method of varying operational modes of a lawnmower including changing the effective cross-sectional area of a discharge opening that couples a discharge chute to a cutter housing between one of a first area, a second area from the first area, and a third area different from the second area.